Tang Chen felt something was off about Zhang Taining lately.
?
Well… that wasn’t exactly right either.
It was more accurate to say that since the finals ended, Zhang Taining had seemed a bit… off.
He thought about it while casually opening a bag of chips, crunching away.
“Up this early today?”
Zhang Taining opened the door and froze for a split second when he saw Tang Chen sitting with his door open across the hall.
But he quickly masked it, greeting Tang Chen naturally.
“Don’t I always get up this early?”
Tang Chen munched his chips, responding,
“…You always say that when you greet someone? Ah, well, just saying you’re up early is fine too.”
Zhang Taining said this while lifting his leg to leave.
“I’m going to training first.”
And just like that, he disappeared.
Something was off.
Way off.
Tang Chen looked at the chips in his hand, frowning.
Zhang Taining didn’t even come snatch his chips today?
No way.
That was definitely not normal!
Crunching through the bag, Tang Chen decided: he needed to investigate.
He first asked Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan blinked, then looked puzzled.
“You mean Zhang Taining? What’s off? I saw him this morning eating three burgers and a cup of soy milk. Pretty normal, right?”
He even looked a little envious.
He was slightly older than Zhang Taining, but it seemed once a person stopped growing, their appetite shrinks. He couldn’t even eat that much now—just thinking about it made him feel full.
Tang Chen: “???”
Zhang Taining is a pig?
He had eaten a huge bowl of wontons last night before sleeping, and now this morning he ate so much again?!
He asked other teammates.
Teammate A: “Zhang Taining? Nothing’s weird. This morning we faced off across the table. Damn… where did he learn to say all the right things without a single curse, yet makes your brain explode?”
Teammate B: “Zhang Taining? What about him? I played duo with him today—he’s even stronger than before. Is he secretly training alone? Aren’t you the closest to him? Do you know how he trains?”
Teammate C: “Huh? If you don’t know, how would I? You two are closer anyway.”
After asking around, Tang Chen got nothing.
His detective instincts were hitting a wall.
Just then, San Yue walked in from the balcony with his phone.
Tang Chen, hoping for a lead, rushed over.
“Have you noticed Zhang Taining recently?”
San Yue paused, then gave a thoughtful expression.
Tang Chen blinked.
San Yue actually knew?
He hurried on: “Do you know what’s going on?”
San Yue thought for a moment, then wore a slightly sheepish look.
“I don’t think I should say… I might know a little, but it’s his private matter. You should ask him yourself, or maybe ask Xie Ge. He was there too that day.”
That day?
Private matter?
So something really happened…
But asking Xie Ge? No way.
And asking Zhang Taining himself? He would have done it already!
He just felt Zhang Taining was acting weird. He had wandered around all morning, yet Zhang Taining hadn’t come to train with him!
No way. Definitely not normal!
Thinking this, Tang Chen grabbed San Yue by the collar.
“Hostage situation! Spill everything you know, or else…”
San Yue sighed helplessly.
“I really can’t say… it wouldn’t be right.”
“Why not! We’re all close teammates. Just a little concern, that’s all!”
Why was San Yue so stubborn?! Tang Chen panicked.
“What are you two doing?”
A voice suddenly came from behind them.
Tang Chen turned—who else could it be but Zhang Taining?
He instinctively loosened his hold on San Yue and chuckled sheepishly.
“Nothing, just… bonding with the captain.”
“Bonding?”
Zhang Taining looked puzzled.
He glanced at San Yue, then at Tang Chen.
Since when had Tang Chen and San Yue become so close?
Then he thought again, recalling what Tang Chen had said about being close and concerned… he really hadn’t misheard, right?
“…Whatever. But you should focus on training.”
Zhang Taining’s expression shifted a few times. Tang Chen thought he was about to perform some Sichuan acrobatic stunt on the spot.
But he just dropped that line and left.
Tang Chen froze.
Huh? That’s it? Just leaving?
He glanced at San Yue.
San Yue looked back.
Both saw something off in each other’s eyes.
San Yue spoke first, hesitating.
“Did you two… have a fight?”
“Huh? What does that have to do with me? Isn’t he the one acting weird?”
Tang Chen was baffled.
San Yue also froze.
“But doesn’t he usually probe you a lot in conversation? He only asked one question and left. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
“Does it?”
Tang Chen grew even more confused.
Zhang Taining usually probed him?
They stared at each other.
Tang Chen puzzled.
San Yue firm.
Tang Chen wavered.
San Yue still firm.
Finally, Tang Chen hesitantly asked, soul-searchingly,
“Is that it?”
San Yue nodded firmly.
Tang Chen believed him.
But he was even more confused.
Since when had he and Zhang Taining gotten so close?
He spent the whole morning mulling over this.
At noon, Tang Chen shook his head.
Forget it. Thinking won’t help.
But since Zhang Taining liked probing, he probably wouldn’t mind a little reciprocation, right?
Tang Chen grinned.
Problem solved! Charge!
Hmm?
Wait, isn’t that Zhang Taining up ahead?
He eagerly ran forward, only to see Zhang Taining pull out his phone.
Tang Chen slowed instinctively.
Should he wait for the call to end first?
He thought so, but Zhang Taining answered and immediately shouted,
“I told you, don’t bother me about this! It won’t help! I’m not going back!”
Going back?
Back where?
Tang Chen froze.
Blinked.
By the time he came to, Zhang Taining was already gone.
What exactly happened?
Two days later, Tang Chen really felt something was off.
Zhang Taining hadn’t spoken to him even once in all that time!
He hadn’t even trained with him!
Not even on the livestream!
He must’ve found some other fool to hang out with!
Tang Chen’s anger grew with every thought.
Then, just as suddenly, he calmed himself.
No Zhang Taining? No problem—there’s always Zhuo Ge!
And San Yue works too!
With that in mind, he floated over to San Yue like a carefree butterfly.
Zhang Taining, watching from the sidelines, froze.
Tang Chen… what’s he doing?
Then he saw Tang Chen chatting with San Yue.
Both of them smiled as they talked.
A few minutes later, someone in the livestream commented:
“Why isn’t he playing with Chen Chen? I just checked—he’s teamed up with Captain San Yue? Aren’t these two usually always training together?”
Zhang Taining opened his computer and quietly joined Tang Chen’s livestream.
Sure enough—Tang Chen’s teammate was San Yue, not him.
He choked up.
Wasn’t Tang Chen supposed to care about him?
All the teammates had told him that Tang Chen had asked about him multiple times. So why hadn’t he just come to ask him directly?
Zhang Taining was baffled.
Then he saw a message scroll by:
“But actually, Chen Chen and Captain San Yue coordinate better—no position conflict. With a partner, it’s easier not to die so quickly!”
Zhang Taining watched for a while, then quietly closed the livestream.
Livestream?
Forget it.
He closed it and went straight into Tang Chen’s livestream.
“Hahaha, captain, you’re hopeless! Your shot’s lagging! If you don’t kill the opponent soon, I’m done for!”
Tang Chen, downed but playful.
“Don’t worry, I’m coming to save you,” said San Yue, calm and precise, taking out a level-two helmeted opponent.
“Awesome, captain! 66666! Please save this kid’s life!”
“Mm, on my way.”
The conversation seemed perfectly normal.
But Zhang Taining grew increasingly irritated.
“Uh… captain, my mom’s calling. Gotta take this.”
Tang Chen glanced at the clock—perfect timing for a phone call.
He turned off the computer, ignoring the viewers’ protests, and stepped outside.
Perfect! An opening!
Zhang Taining quickly followed.
Outside, Tang Chen answered the phone.
“Wait… what? Set me up on a blind date? Mom, come on, I’m so young!”
He froze.
Zhang Taining, hiding in the corner, also froze—and then panicked.
What? Tang Chen was going on a blind date?
The voice on the other end, Mrs. Tang, didn’t bother with niceties.
“I don’t care. This Saturday, downstairs at the restaurant. I already picked someone for you—just came back from studying abroad, says he likes men too. Has an older brother, so won’t push for kids—perfect. Just go see him.”
“No way! I’m too young! You can’t just arrange this because Zong Ge got married!” Tang Chen pouted.
Zhang Taining’s ears twitched—his mood inexplicably tense.
“Zh—”
San Yue, passing by, noticed Zhang Taining eavesdropping.
He paused for a moment, then quietly slipped away.
These two should patch things up later, he thought.
“I’m not arranging your marriage either,” Mrs. Tang continued. “You’re single too. Just meet and have a meal. Treat it as visiting me. Remember that.”
Click. She hung up, then immediately booked a private room at the restaurant downstairs.
Tang Chen stared at his phone, dumbfounded.
But wait!
His hair was greasy, his face… not great.
And he had secretly popped a huge pimple from all the chips he’d been eating!
No face mask could fix this!
“All Zhang Taining’s fault!” he shouted.
If no one had been snatching his chips, he wouldn’t have eaten so much!
Before, eating that much never caused breakouts!
Tang Chen’s anger boiled over.
Zhang Taining, hiding in the corner, shivered.
Made a little noise.
Tang Chen spun around.
Zhang Taining couldn’t dodge in time, and their eyes met—awkwardly.
Tang Chen slowly typed out a question mark.